Saturday, December 20, 2014

The second book in the Year of Moons trilogy (and 11th book set in Valladora) is out now! For reading order, click here.

Ian
opposes the death penalty and hopes to convince the king to show mercy
to one of his subjects. Ian’s desire to free the man in his dungeon only
grows when he discovers that the feisty, sharp-tongued leopard shifter
is his mate. Kamon’s
life is already complicated enough when Ian steps into it. Kamon’s
always relied on no one but himself, yet now he begins to envision a
very different future. He’s trying to keep Ian at arm’s length, but that
grows harder every day as the vampire works relentlessly to change the
mind of a king who’s never before granted any subject a pardon.

Excerpt:Kamon
sat in his cell, still full of rage. He’d often told himself Kara would
be the death of him, but he’d never imagined it would be so literal. He
ached to shift, but he didn’t want to invite more trouble, as he’d been
too distracted to tell anyone he was a shifter. The guards would likely
stab first and ask questions later if they found a golden leopard
pacing around in his cell. He had enough to worry about already. His
twin’s selfishness had finally landed him in the kind of trouble he
wouldn’t be able to get out of.The
outer door opened, and a vampire entered, closing the door behind him
after saying something to the guards. When the vampire turned, Kamon
recognized Lord Ian. The man looked completely out of place in his
billowing mint green robes, his shining blond hair flowing down his back
and the silver rings on his fingers glinting in the torchlight. Kamon
had never imagined a vampire lord would lower himself in this way. He’d
heard that Ian was kind and generous, but Kamon didn’t care for vampires
or the fact that they ruled over humans simply because they had such
long lives.The
vampire approached, but Kamon didn’t say anything. He’d already
confessed, so he didn’t see the point in submitting to more
interrogation.“Kamon, I’m Lord Ian. And I’ve come to help you.”Help me? Kamon averted his eyes and pressed his lips together.“Are you all right?”Kamon glanced up and shrugged.Ian came closer. “Do you need water? Food? Have you been mistreated?”Kamon
stood and walked over to the man, the stretching of his muscles feeling
good despite the stiffness his desire to shift was causing. “No, I
haven’t been mistreated. I’m here because I did something wrong. What do
you want?”Ian studied Kamon. “You’re obviously not afraid of being punished, talking to me this way.”“I’m
going to die. What’s the point in caring about anything?” Kamon pushed
away from the bars of the cell. Something about the vampire’s scent made
him want to shift even more. The vampire was attractive, and Kamon
didn’t mind a man in his bed, but Ian was a little too pretty for
Kamon’s taste. He preferred brawn to beauty.Ian
shifted his weight and crossed his arms. “Look, I’m going to forget
your rudeness and get to the point. I hate executions and think the
death penalty unjust. I want to help you, maybe save you. Domestic
disputes are always complex. I’d like to be your advocate and plead with
King Jareth, but I’ll need your help.”“Not
interested,” Kamon said, wanting Ian to go away. His scent was starting
to drive Kamon wild. He wanted to shift, and more than that, he wanted
to fuck. He turned to face the wall in an attempt to end the
conversation.“Not interested? Without an advocate, you’ll die!”“I
killed someone. That’s the law.” If this vampire pried too much, Kara
might be executed instead. Many might call him a fool, but he’d never be
able to live with that. His vain sister had always been thoughtless and
selfish, but no one deserved to die for those things. She had an unborn
child to think of.“Why are you trembling?” Ian asked.Kamon looked down at his hands and realized he was shaking. He folded his arms and tried to stop the tremors. “I’m fine.”“You’ve got to be kidding.” Ian sighed, and Kamon heard the jangle of keys.Kamon turned to see the vampire opening the cell and entering it. “No. Leave me alone.”Ian took hold of Kamon’s shoulders. “I won’t hurt you. Or bite you. Tell me what’s wrong. Are you ill?”Ian’s
scent overwhelmed Kamon, and before he knew what he was doing, Kamon
had leaned forward to breathe in more of it. He shivered, his eyes half
closing, and Ian leaned away and stared at him.“Did you … just … smell me?” Ian asked, his face crinkled in confusion.Kamon
once more pressed his lips together, something his mother had always
done when agitated. He’d never been able to kick the habit. He wanted to
do more than smell this man—he wanted to lick him. He tried to say
something, but his brain buzzed with carnal thoughts, his body
responding to the strong hands on his shoulders.Ian
studied Kamon’s face, then his eyes, which Kamon guessed had turned
from green to yellow. “You’re a shifter,” Ian said, releasing him. “And
you must find me attractive.”Kamon opened his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”“Don’t get defensive. What’s your problem?” Ian asked.Kamon
needed to shift. Now. If he didn’t, he would jump the vampire before
long. “I don’t have to answer your questions. Have me punished however
you damn well want. Just get out!”“You
need to shift. Do it. I don’t care. I’ll turn my back if you want.” He
did so. “When you shift back, you’ll be calmer. Then we can talk.”“Are
you some bleeding heart or what? Why do you give a shit what happens to
me?” Kamon asked, his heart pumping and blood roaring in his ears. “I
don’t want you here!”Ian
turned back to him and frowned. “Why are you acting this way?” he asked
softly. Stepping forward, he asked in a more taunting voice, “Do I
smell that good?”Kamon
turned away, but Ian stopped him and pushed him against the wall. His
eyes lowered, and he saw that Kamon’s cock was hard and ready. Kamon met
his gaze defiantly when Ian lifted his eyes. He wanted to push the man
down and mount him right then, and if Ian insisted on seeing his desire,
Kamon wasn’t going to be ashamed.